Priscilla Loomis, a high jumper from the US who competed at the Rio Olympics in 2016, was hoping to represent Antigua and Barbuda in Tokyo due to her dual citizenship.
But a bad case of Covid-19 derailed her chances and she failed to qualify.
“(I’m) absolutely devastated,” Loomis said.
“I’m heartbroken. (I’m) healing right now. I’m in mourning.”
She suffered chest pains and breathing difficulties and had to miss eight weeks of training. Her doctor even advised her to abandon her Olympic bid, because of the potential long-term damage to her heart and lungs. But she kept going.
“All I could think about was, I need to get ready for the Olympics, I need to get ready for the Olympics,” Loomis said. “And so it kind of completely turned my world upside down.”
And at 32, she said she can’t keep training at this level — or funding the support required — for another four years.
“This was my final (chance),” she said. “There’s no way I can afford the coaches and the doctors and as you get older, all these random things hurt when I wake up now.”
Priscilla Loomis says Tokyo was her last chance to win an Olympic medal.
Long Covid, also called post-Covid syndrome, is shaping up to be a major, long-term public health issue.
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GOD IS IN CONTROL , THINGS MAY GET BACK ON TRACK BETTER THAN YOU EXPECT,,KEEP PRAYING MY DEAR..
At first glance one would think that someone in that athlete’s family passed away.If she has Covid-19 and cannot go to the games.No one died,so there is not a need to be in MOURNING.
Tell that to someone who’s been training all her life for this moment only to have it snatched away. It’s hard. Just sympathize with her and encourage her to look forward to the next 4 years.
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